Design for Living: The vertical forest in Milan - a home for trees inhabited by humans

Bosco Verticale: The air is better up there and birds nest in the foliage. Photo / Supplied

There are dozens of forest-like buildings in the world but few are as spectacular as Bosco Verticale, the Vertical Forest, a twin-tower residential complex in Milan. Architect Stefano Boeri calls it "a home for trees inhabited by humans".

There are 11,000 plants: that's two trees, eight shrubs and 40 smaller plants for each person living there. Some of the trees are nine metres high and there are close to 100 different species.

The trees are tied down, so branches don't split in the wind. Everything grows in pots, in a mix of soil, organic matter and volcanic rock, which helps keep the weight down. Trimming the foliage is done by arborists belaying off the roof.

Maintenance work at Bosco Verticale. Photo / Supplied

This is part of a larger idea: to rewild our cities. It helps with biodiversity: more than 20 bird species have nested in Bosco Verticale. Ladybirds were introduced to help control pests without using pesticides. The plant life filters the air, absorbing carbon and other noxious particles produced by traffic. It releases oxygen. It reduces noise.

And being close to trees makes you feel better. One former resident has said it's like living inside a tree or a treehouse.

Bosco Verticale: The air is better up there and birds nest in the foliage. Photo / Supplied

"Each season has a different shade, so landscapes with autumn foliage alternate with periods full of colours when there are plants in bloom," she said. "There was no noise, and thanks to the huge windows, it seemed like the woods were in the living room and in the rest of the house. It was like always being on vacation. It was a beautiful feeling."

Stefano Boeri has plans for whole cities like this, which have been on show in Shanghai this year. He has also proposed that the Grenfell Tower in London, destroyed by fire in 2017, be "revived" with trees, climbing plants and flowers. Not to be reinhabited, but as a "symbol of life": a living memorial to those who died there.

Stefano Boeri's proposal for a living monument to the victims of the Grenfell Fire in London in 2017. Photo / Supplied

• Design for Living is a series about bright ideas that make cities better, running weekly in Canvas.